Make yourself at home (on hold)

Two mates

“Feel like walking along the beach with me?” Alexander was still smiling and I was sure that something was in the back of his mind, but I nodded with a small smile of my own. He looked at me curiously and after a few steps he asked.

“Did you grow up with the wolves?” He seemed on edge, asking this question, probably not sure whether I would give an answer.

“No. I grew up in orphanages and walked into the pack a few years ago.” I was surprised at how many words I managed to build a sentence with, but kept looking at him. Strained not to let a memory appear in my head and watching Alexander’s muscles relax.

“So you are an orphan?”

“Yes, my parents died when I was six months old.” It suddenly seemed easy to talk about my past. Alexander somehow kept me here and asked the right questions, questions I could answer.

“When is your birthday?”

“June 29th.” He looked at me in surprise and I looked away quickly to hide the pained expresion that appeared on my face.

“That’s today!”

“When is yours?” I quickly asked before he could go on.

“September 3rd. You don’t like your birthday, do you?” He looked worried again, but I could hardly tell him what today was supposed to happen. After a few seconds Alexander spoke again, his voice low but with a deep growl: “He wanted to claim you!”

All of a sudden his body was shaking and we stopped walking, he took a deep breathe.

“May I… My leopard wants me to touch you.” Taken aback I nodded, not wanting him to look at me in that agonized way. He slowly came closer, avoiding fast movements as if scared that I was going to run away or faint. Pulling me into a hug, he took a deep breath and so did I.

I don’t know how long we stood like that, but Alexander suddenly lifted his head from where he had rested it on mine and said: “Nelly wants to talk to you. I’ll bring you to their house, if that’s okay?”

I nodded again, taking a deep breath of his smell before he released me and we went back to the house I lived in from now on.

“Mom and Dad have decided to adopt you! Of course only if you agree. Oh I didn’t disturb you, did I?” Alexander smiled at Nelly gently and said: “No, we were just talking.”

“Oh.” Nelly looked a little sad and my hand automatically wandered up to my neck, touching the skin she had expected to be wounded by now.

I felt Alexander’s hand close around my wrist and he gently pulled my hand off my skin, interlacing mine with his.  The warmth of our first touch returned with a prickling feeling and I nearly forgot where I was. Nelly smiled at me and I blushed, looking away quickly

“Samantha.” Alexander said curtly and nodded his head in direction of Nelly’s mom, I wondered why he seemed cold at her sight. After a few minutes in which nobody spoke, I figured they were talking in their minds again. I slightly squeezed Alexander’s hand, looking at him I saw a sour expression, protective and angry. I thought he was about to growl, so I nudged him.

“Let’s go.” He pulled me around him and turned with me, then walked off pulling me behind him.

“What! But… Hey!” I had raised my voice to get his attention and he abruptly turned to face me. “What’s going on?” I asked in a levelled voice. He took a deep breath before answering:

“I think it’s odd that you, as a snow leopard, find your mate and all of a sudden they decide to adopt you. Additionally I am the Alpha's son and chosen to take after him and the Alphas mates family is high ranked in this pack.”